Song of Solomon Ch. 5 QUIZ

In the fifth chapter of Song of Solomon, the characterizations of Ruth and Pilate provides insight to the suffering of women by showing how they function and survive in society without a man to depend on. Another interesting aspect in the story is the irony their struggle creates.

The passage in chapter five, with Pilate arriving with her daughter and her grandaughter at her mother's house provides insight to the suffering of women because it shows how powerless women are without a man to be dependant on. If there isn't a man leading them, they don't know what else to do besides return home. In that time period, women had no choice but to rely on the man of the house. It simply wasn't the "traditional" or "proper" for a lady to get out in the world and survive on her own. The passage demonstrated women's powerlessness in society.

In order for the Ruth to live happily in her upper-class lifestyle and be accepted by others, she must sacrafice. Ruth suffers under Macon Jr.'s abuse for years and never stands up for herself so she can draw money from him and maintain her lifestyle. On the other hand, Pilate is somewhat a different type of woman compared to Ruth. She doesn't look for anyone's approval, she has confidence, and doesn't define herself according to what a man thinks. Morrison elevates Pilate's status in the book to an admirable role model; however, the speaker reminds us that independent and self-assured women are not traditional ladies, and can be mistreated because of it. As a result, Pilate pays the price of alienation for her freedom.

The Sound, the Fury, & Time

Throughout the novel, "time" doesn't flow naturally like most stories. Instead it is mixed up sharing the past, present, and future, sometimes all in one page. Faulkner presents time in The Sound and the Fury in various different ways. Each chapter is set up for certain characters, who idividually use time differently in their stories. Some are more normal and sense time more logically than others, while others such as Benjy doesn't have much of a sense of it.

The opening chapter [Benjy] is the most difficult, because narrative time is structured by the mental shifts of Benjy, who is a mentally disabled member of the family. The shifts in time sequence and stream of consciousness narrating requires the reader to work at an interpretation. Readers of The Sound and the Fury must begin to piece together the plot by first learning to understand Benjy's character. The same goes for the other characters when it comes to interpretting and making inferences. Each character's sense of time relays their unique characteristics and are key to understanding the book overall. Faulkner has turned the relationship with time into a device that not only forces the readers to keep track of everything and to pay attention, but moreso to create characterizations and to expose important aspects of each character's personality and perspective on Caddy and other factors in their lives.

Iago & War

I thought the statement by Harold Bloom was interesting. To start-off games are meant to be recreational and often not taken seriously; however, at times can require strategy and even deceitfulness to win. The fact that Iago had to strategize and become deceitful in order to achieve his goal of vengeance on Othello is proof of Iago's game of war. He had to lie and come up with faulty stories to con everyone. Religion is something sacred and respected. It is taken seriously at all times. I believe Iago's religion of war was represented earlier in the play, when he would fight for a worthy cause, or at least for the sake of war. He wasn’t fighting for personal gain. Iago goes from fighting on the battlefield to warring everywhere and with everyone. I believe that in the beginning of the play Iago fought religious war, but in the end he played the game of war.

After reading Oedipus Rex...

After reading Oedipus Rex I walked away confused. In the class discussion the question was "Should I want to know my fate, or would it be wrong to choose not to?" I stood by what I believed was ethical and responsible; however, everyone had a different argument. In the end my decision was dependant on the given circumstances. Oedipus followed the prophecy, by killing his father and marrying and having children with the king's wife, who was also his mother. I stand by my opinion that he was wrong and it was responsible of him, especially due to the role that he played, to find out the truth. The story sparked deep thought, and the analysis went beyond the surface to various different things.

Important Words of Wisdom

"An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity. " Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Important words of wisdom

"You are responsible for what you are doing and experiencing now, therefore you are responsible for the destiny you will experience in the future." You Have Chosen to Remeber, by James Cisneros